PBR World Championship

PBR World Championship
SportBull riding
LeagueBud Light Cup Series
(1994–2002)
Built Ford Tough Series
(2003–2017)
Unleash the Beast Series
(2018–present)
Awarded forBest overall bull rider in the PBR premier series
VenueDickies Arena
Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
CountryUnited States
Presented byProfessional Bull Riders
History
First award1994
Editions33
First winnerBrazil Adriano Morães
Most winsBrazil Adriano Morães
Brazil Silvano Alves
Brazil José Vitor Leme
Most recentUnited States John Crimber

The PBR World Championship is the premier individual championship awarded by Professional Bull Riders (PBR) to the rider who accumulates the most PBR World Championship points during a season. First awarded in 1994, the championship is contested throughout the PBR season and culminates at the PBR World Finals, where the champion is crowned and receives the PBR World Championship buckle.

The championship has been awarded annually since 1994 and has been contested under several names for the PBR's premier series, including the Bud Light Cup Series from 1994 to 2002, the Built Ford Tough Series from 2003 to 2017, and the Unleash the Beast Series since 2018. Adriano Morães was the inaugural champion, while John Crimber is the reigning champion, having won the 2026 championship.

Three riders – Adriano Morães, Silvano Alves, and José Vitor Leme – have won the championship three times, the most in PBR history.

List of champions

Season Champion Hometown Points Ref.
1994 Brazil Adriano Morães Cachoeira Paulista, Brazil
1995 United States Tuff Hedeman Morgan Mill, Texas
1996 United States Owen Washburn Lordsburg, New Mexico 6,310.00
1997 United States Michael Gaffney Albuquerque, New Mexico
1998 Australia Troy Dunn Sarina, Australia 7,994.00
1999 United States Cody Hart Gainesville, Texas 10,100.00
2000 United States Chris Shivers Jonesville, Louisiana 9,138.50
2001 Brazil Adriano Morães (2) Cachoeira Paulista, Brazil 11,119.00
2002 Brazil Ednei Caminhas Presidente Alves, Brazil 9,413.00
2003 United States Chris Shivers (2) Jonesville, Louisiana 8,455.50
2004 United States Mike Lee Paradise, Texas 12,138.25
2005 United States Justin McBride Elk City, Oklahoma 13,415.25
2006 Brazil Adriano Morães (3) Cachoeira Paulista, Brazil 11,109.75
2007 United States Justin McBride (2) Elk City, Oklahoma 14,820.25
2008 Brazil Guilherme Marchi Leme, Brazil 16,841.50
2009 United States Kody Lostroh Longmont, Colorado 16,640.00
2010 Brazil Renato Nunes Buritama, Brazil 13,960.00
2011 Brazil Silvano Alves Pilar do Sul, Brazil 15,742.00
2012 Brazil Silvano Alves (2) Pilar do Sul, Brazil 12,201.75
2013 United States J.B. Mauney Mooresville, North Carolina 15,092.25
2014 Brazil Silvano Alves (3) Pilar do Sul, Brazil 11,703.50
2015 United States J.B. Mauney (2) Mooresville, North Carolina 5,905.00
2016 United States Cooper Davis Jasper, Texas 5,815.00
2017 United States Jess Lockwood Volborg, Montana 4,262.50
2018 Brazil Kaique Pacheco Itatiba, Brazil 5,199.16
2019 United States Jess Lockwood (2) Volborg, Montana 7,562.50
2020 Brazil José Vitor Leme Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil 1,474.00
2021 Brazil José Vitor Leme (2) Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil 2,832.50
2022 United States Daylon Swearingen Piffard, New York 1,567.50
2023 Brazil Rafael José de Brito Potirendaba, Brazil 1,338.00
2024 Brazil Cássio Dias São Francisco de Sales, Brazil 1,830.33
2025 Brazil José Vitor Leme (3) Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil 1,494.00
2026 United States John Crimber Decatur, Texas 1,242.50

Champions by country

No. Country Seasons
17 United States United States 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2026
15 Brazil Brazil 1994, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025
1 Australia Australia 1998
0 Canada Canada
Mexico Mexico
New Zealand New Zealand
Paraguay Paraguay

References

  1. ↑ Youness, James (17 January 2023). "From the Vault: The original PBR World Champion". Professional Bull Riders.
  2. ↑ Renee Tapia, Patricia. "Richard "Tuff" Hedeman: The Michael Jordan of Professional Bull Riding". EPCC. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  3. ↑ "Bull riding champ is dethroned". Las Vegas Sun. 14 October 1996. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  4. ↑ "1997: PBR Founder Michael Gaffney wins the 1997 PBR World Championship". Las Vegas Weekly. 22 October 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  5. ↑ "1998 PBR World Champion Troy Dunn Returns". Professional Bull Riders. PBR. 1 October 2004. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  6. ↑ Painter, Bryan (13 August 1999). "Bull Rider Gets To the Hart Of the Matter". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  7. ↑ "Chris Shivers: life by the horns". The Baltimore Sun. 20 September 2001. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  8. ↑ "PBR Legend Adriano Moraes Announces Retirement". Professional Bull Riders. PBR. 4 January 2008. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  9. ↑ "Former World Champ Takes Coveted Express Classic Event Title!!!". Professional Bull Riders. PBR. 15 February 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  10. ↑ Lowitt, Bruce (19 April 2003). "One man, one bull, 8 seconds, $1-million". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  11. ↑ "Lee wins PBR World Finals championship, season standings". My Plainview. 30 October 2004. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  12. ↑ "McBride captures PBR title". The Oklahoman. 8 November 2005. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  13. ↑ "ADRIANO MORAES REWRITES HISTORY BOOKS WITH THIRD PBR WORLD TITLE". Professional Bull Riders. PBR. 1 November 2006. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  14. ↑ "2007 PBR World Champion Bull and other PBR World Finals Awards Named". Professional Bull Riders. PBR. 6 November 2007. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  15. ↑ Okamoto, Brett (9 November 208). "Marchi holds on to take world championship". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  16. ↑ "Kody Lostroh wins tightest race in PBR history". ESPN. 11 November 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  17. ↑ Renck, Tracy (25 October 2010). "Nunez achieves PBR dream". The Pueblo Chieftain. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  18. ↑ "Silvano Alves wins PBR world title". The San Diego Union-Tribune. 30 October 2011. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  19. ↑ "Silvano Alves, Robson Palermo defend PBR titles". Sports Illustrated. 28 October 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  20. ↑ Freeman, Keith (27 October 2013). "J.B. Mauney wins PBR world championship". AP News. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  21. ↑ "Brazilian Alves bull-riding champion". The Spokesman-Review. 27 October 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  22. ↑ Stovin, Ted (24 October 2015). "Mauney wins Second World Title". everything-cowboy.com. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  23. ↑ "Southeast Texas' Davis crowned PBR World Champion". Beaumont Enterprise. 6 November 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  24. ↑ Helfand, Betsy (5 November 2017). "Jess Lockwood, Jose Vitor Leme PBR's big winners". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  25. ↑ Wyatt, Matt (11 November 2018). "Kaique Pacheco wins 2018 PBR World Championship". Chron. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  26. ↑ "Jess Lockwood wins 2019 PBR World Finals and Championship". Western Media and Sports. 9 December 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  27. ↑ "Jose Vitor Leme Wins PBR World Championship". The Cowboy Channel. 17 November 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  28. ↑ Kantowski, Ron (7 November 2021). "Brazil's Leme wins 2nd PBR title in record-setting fashion". Los Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  29. ↑ Moore, Ricky (22 May 2022). "Taped-up boot no problem for Daylon Swearingen, who wins PBR titles in Fort Worth". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  30. ↑ Goutam Hoom, Rahul (22 May 2023). ""Absolutely Amazing": Bull Rider Stuns Sports World by Achieving a Historic First at UTB World Finals". Essentially Sports. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  31. ↑ "World champion and rookie of the year: Cassio Dias shakes off injury to prevail at PBR World Finals". The Business Press. 20 May 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  32. ↑ "Jose Vitor Leme Wins 3rd PBR World Title". Monster Energy. 19 May 2025. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  33. ↑ "John Crimber Claims PBR World Championship at Just 20 Years Old". Monster Energy. 18 May 2026. Retrieved 19 September 2026.